Jesse Vitelli’s Top 10 Games & Albums of 2024

Hey, y’all. It’s me, Not Young Elmo back again with another top ten list for Giant Bomb this year. Last year, I talked a bit about how difficult of a year it was for the games industry and this year only got worse. More talented teams were shut down, more people lost their jobs, and we had more bad Discourse.

It’s truly amazing that anything was able to come out at all in the face of corporate meddling, and I’m thrilled that some teams still got to make something cool and impactful in such a terrible year.

It’s been a tough year for me personally, but I’m looking to 2025 with some optimism, largely due in part to Giant Bomb and this community. Each and every member of this staff has given me an opportunity this year to live out some of my wildest dreams and I’ll forever be grateful to each and every one of them. Special shoutout to Jan for taking a chance on a random internet friend and letting me into this goofy group of pals.

Anyway, enough sappy bullshit, let’s talk about some video games! Oh! This year I’m choosing to pair each game with a different album that came out in 2024. Not because I think video game music is bad, in fact, many of these games have incredible soundtracks, but sometimes when you’re grinding something or doing a meaningless task, it’s nice to have something fresh to listen to.

10. Echo Point Nova – Exhibition of Prowess by Kublai Khan TX

Echo Point Nova is a fast-paced fluid first-person shooter that combines high-octane action and speed with open-world challenges. Riding your hoverboard around while you shoot a rocket launcher from fifty feet in the air is simply one of the basic joys of video games. Combine that with interesting boss designs that encourage risky strategies and over-the-top ambitions you have a recipe for some of the most fun I had playing a video game this year.

It’s constant risk/reward of trying out the most ridiculous Nitro Circus ass stunt you can think of kept me coming back for more. I devoured Echo Point Nova in just a couple of days. Sometimes you just want a game that fires every dopamine receptor in your brain and that’s ok.

I don’t really have anything profound to say about this game. It’s somewhat mindless and a really good bag of potato chips. I love potato chips. I eat a lot of them. I sometimes feel guilty after eating the whole bag. However most of the time the act of eating and enjoying them are the best part. It’s not a meal I’ll remember years from now, but Echo Point Nova was a really excellent bag of potato chips.

I chose Exhibition of Prowess to pair with Echo Point Nova because I think there’s just something powerful about listening to one of Hardcore’s best bands right now while exhibiting true FPS dominance. There’s not necessarily a thematic tie-in here, but rather just I think listening to this while playing made me feel cool.

Dawntrail isn’t my favorite Final Fantasy XIV expansion, but it is one I hold in high regard thanks to the memories I have of its first month. I’ve been a pretty solo XIV player for most of my time with the game over the last four years.

However I’ve convinced enough friends over that time to play the critically acclaimed MMORPG and let me tell you. Having friends to play through high level content with is a blast. Learning the ropes of the new Extreme Trials, savage raids, and more is a joy.

I toyed around with some of that during Endwalker, but Dawntrail is where I really got more involved in the multiplayer aspects that XIV offers.

Dawntrail is a great platform for this with a fresh start away from the long 10 year saga that wrapped in Endwalker. It’s a time to reinvent yourself as a XIV player, discover new and exciting opportunities the game has in store.

Of course, Dawntrail has its stumbles, but it’s still FFXIV and everything that comes alongside that still stands. You’ll get your hype as hell jump out of your seat moments. Moments which will make you tear up. And a lot of family trauma to unpack throughout its 40 hour story.

I could sit here and list all of the good and bad things about Dawntrail, but I think the important piece to take away from it revolves around it’s ability to explore family dynamics and what it means to grieve.

Between Dawntrail, Persona 3, Metaphor, 1000x Resist, and a few others, I’ve consumed a lot of media surrounding death this year. Hell, I’ve talked a lot about death in this one piece (or I will talk a lot about death, I still haven’t figured out the ranking yet, so this could be the first blurb you’re reading!) I turned 30 this year and with that comes a new era of your life where death is a more central component to your day to day. Everyone in your life is getting older, your worldview is expanding rapidly, and you’re being confronted with problems you knew existed as a kid, but now you’re the adult in the room.

This means learning how to navigate difficult conversations and problems previously handled by someone else in your life. I’ve had a lot of that this year, and I think I’ve found a lot of comfort in games that remind me it’s natural to feel this way and how grief comes in all forms.

I chose St Vincent’s All Born Screaming for Dawntrail because I think its variety lends itself a lot to an MMO. It’s great for grinding out FATES, dungeons, or if you end up back in Bozja for some reason. It’s a record that means a lot to me this year and one I hope more people listen to!

Case of the Golden idol was one of my favorites a few years back. Rise is almost everything you want from a sequel with quality of life improvements, more puzzle variety, and another wild story that takes you for a ride.

I really love logic and deduction puzzles. They scratch an itch in my brain that has me oscillating between feeling like a total genius and the biggest piece of trash this world has ever seen. It’s a roller coaster of emotions that I don’t think is great for my mental health, but hey, we all have our vices.

I devoured Rise in two sittings and bashed my head against a wall trying to solve some of the later puzzles, but when I came out the other side I felt lighter, smarter, and more determined than ever. Few games gave me a sensational rush this year. When everything slotted into place perfectly and I emerged from the darkness of my own brain fog, I felt like I could fight god.

I chose Clairo’s new album because I think it’s important to have something soothing to listen to while playing Rise of the Golden Idol. Something that won’t agitate or distract you. Clairo’s warm pillowy-soft vocals will lull you into a comforting zen-like state. Something that will help you solve the puzzles and keep the rage to a minimum.

7. Astro Bot – SMILE! 😀 by Porter Robinson

Astro Bot is a pure joy. Unfiltered raw enjoyment. I was grinning ear to ear with every level of this mascot platformer. Whether it was collecting bots filled with PlayStation history or beating Dan and Grubb’s ass in the speedrun challenges released post-launch, Astro game me hours and hours of enjoyment this year.

I don’t think I loved the themed levels as much as other people, but maybe it’s because I have very little fondness for PlayStation’s newer catalog. So some of the later ones really did nothing for me king.

I have small gripes with the game here and there, but overall I think Astro Bot is a net good for this industry, something that doesn’t forget the legacy it’s built upon, but instead chooses to celebrate it every chance it gets.

Now if only PlayStation would learn to respect its legacy and bring back some of its important pieces of history we would be in business. That’s not a job for Astro Bot though, even if it brings the conversation of game preservation to the forefront for most folks.

This year I somehow got really into Porter Robinson. I’m not quite sure how it happened exactly, but here we are. I think while you’re playing around in Astro bot, looking for all 318 bots or trying your hand at the speedrunning levels, SMILE 😀 is a great piece to accompany you on that journey.

Now maybe I’m the sicko here. I think I’m one of the few people that thought incredibly highly of Capcom’s return to the Dragon’s Dogma franchise. There’s something about how dangerous each journey you would take outside of the city walls felt. It’s a game unafraid of pushing the player to focus on the journey rather than the destination. One that wants to examine what it means to travel in a dangerous fantasy setting.

The last 10 hours of Dragon’s Dogma 2 are some of the coolest and most memorable moments in a game for me this year. It’s a complete encapsulation of the ethos of the sequel. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is clunky, obtuse, and difficult in every way that works for me. It puts the player front and center and dares you to meet the game on its own terms.

I don’t think any other game let me fail as much as Dragon’s Dogma 2 did. I failed a lot in that game. Died countless times to mundane things or falling off cliffs. It taught me a lot about adventuring and how if I want to play the game on my terms I need to be ok with the game constantly pushing back.

Whether I rode a griffon 500 feet into the sky or tried to throw my pawn into a volcano, the game wasn’t afraid to reward me if I succeeded or punish me for making a fool of myself. It’s something I’ve come to admire about Dragon’s Dogma 2, and something I wish more games would take lessons from.

Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood is as Americana as it gets. That might seem silly to pair with such a high fantasy adventure. But there’s something about taking a long journey on the open road, with Tiger’s Blood blasting that hits just right as you’re strolling along, the sun is setting, and the golden hour is approaching.

Mouthwashing doesn’t get an album recommendation. Mainly because It’s such a tight 2 hours experience that deserves your full attention. The more I say about Mouthwashing the more I rob you of the experience. There are some definite trigger warnings of gore, violence, and assault that you should know up front. But other than that Mouthwashing is a game I’ve long thought about after putting the controller down.

For such a short run time it has a lot of layers, intricacies, and powerful messaging to send to the player. Wrong Organ is a developer I’ve had my eye on since it released How Fish Is Made, another one of my top ten games from a few years back.

Whatever that team is cooking I’ll be there for day one. Even if it’s a game about mouth wash.

I hope this hurts.

4. Balatro – I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy

I don’t know how much I need to say about Balatro. It’s a roguelite poke game that figure out the perfect loop. You collect Jokers to enhance your runs and each new one unlocked is crazier than the last. It’s a perfect “one more run” game and I think I own it on just about every platform at this point.

It’s been a comfort game when I’m too tired to dedicate brain power to something that requires more inputs or thoughtful critique. Balatro has been there for me on the subway, waiting for friends at a bar, and the quiet late night hours when I can’t sleep. Thank you Balatro. Also did you see that new trailer with Ben Starr? That was wild.

The reason I’m pairing Balatro with Mannequin Pussy is simple. This was my late night routine when I couldn’t sleep. Blasting I Got Heaven alongside some Balatro runs. It was a perfect nightcap.

3. 1000xResist – Feeling Not Found by Origami Angel

1000xResist is another game that Michael Higham was yelling about in my ear (much like Octopath Traveler 2 from last year.) In my catch up month I finally sat down and played it, and oh boy was he right.

2024 was a standout year for games that make Jesse Vitelli have existential dread and question every life choice he has ever made. Blending ideas about revolution, serving a higher purpose, and family together to craft a unique story filled with twists and turns. A game that looks into the ugliness of people both as individuals and together as a collective body. How sometimes we stray so far from our original goals and the dangers that can seep into the foundational pillars of our life.

1000x Resist is a game that I could talk about for hours, but one I’d rather the person reading this go experience for themselves. I think you get as much out of the experience as you’re willing to put in. Go in with an open mind, and let yourself live in the moment. 1000x Resist isn’t about the big moments as much as it is the journey.

I chose Origami Angel’s new album Feeling Not Found for a few reasons. One I think the sheer tonal variety of the album compliments a lot of what 1000x resist reflects in its gameplay and storytelling elements. Thematically I feel that Feeling Not Found reflects some of the inner emotions pulled out of me from 1000x Resist.

This year I finally played Persona 3 after multiple recommendations. It’s easily my favorite Persona game and a game, much like Metaphor: Refantazio , that I can’t stop thinking about. I don’t know what Atlus puts in their sauce but both of their releases this year have it.

Persona 3’s core concept of accepting and learning to live with death isn’t exactly the happiest of framings, but it’s a strong foundation that the game constantly builds upon. It’s not just about losing the people in your life, but how death comes in all forms. The death of your dreams, career, and hopes. Persona 3 Reload taught me to be resilient. Using my own resiliency as a jumping off point to thrust me into an unknown future.

I found Persona 3 Reload at the perfect moment in my life. One where I was unsure what was next for me, and it gave me the hope to carry on. I’m still a little lost to this day, but thinking back on the lessons learned and the impact that Reload had on me back in January, I’ll never forget it.

Persona 3’s use of silence is impeccable. Not every day of your life is going to be good, in fact, a lot of days in your life are going to be bad. You’re not going to feel like listening to your favorite music or talking to your best friend. Sometimes you want to rot in bed with the blinds shut and the door closed. Persona 3 understands that and in key moments uses its silence to speak volumes. It’s such an effective tool that I still have those days on the calendar seared into my brain. The ones where I didn’t speak to my friends or go on an adventure, the days where I simply went home.

Despite all of that, Persona 3 reckons with finding hope in the darkest of places. Casting aside your unending dread to build a better future for those around you. It taught me to look at my own support system and when my cup is empty, they are there to fill it up.

I still haven’t played Episode Aigis, and I don’t know if I’m ready to. I’ve grieved a lot this year, and I don’t know if I’m ready to grieve Persona 3 quite yet.

I’m not going to recommend an album for Persona 3, but I am going to share my favorite song from the game.

1. Metaphor: ReFantazio – I’ll Always Be This by Career Day

Make no mistake, Metaphor: ReFantazio is my game of the year by a country mile. Over the course of the 80 hours I spent with Studio Zero’s triumphant RPG left with me with a piece of citation I’ll likely never stop thinking about. It’s transcendence allowed me to reckon with a lot of the current state of the world. It gave me a small sliver of hope in what has been a pretty terrible year.

Metaphor doesn’t shy away from it’s ideas of collective action, but says it with its whole chest. The twists and turns were enough to keep me trucking forward, but the emotional core of what makes Metaphor tick is what solidified it as my game of the year. All anchored by a terrific cast of characters that form one of my favorite RPG parties in recent memory.

I never doubted Metaphor to be able to take the spot of my game of the year, but I just didn’t realize how impactful this game’s themes would be on my personal life.

I think reviewing games often colors my perception of experiencing and playing the game. Trying to finish under a tight deadline or turnaround copy fast and efficiently. Much like Metaphor’s calendar system. The review period and beyond for Metaphor was different though. It resulted in a lot of self-reflection, a lot of talking to others and understanding how pieces of fiction get woven into your DNA. A personal library for you to pull from upon times of need.

Metaphor asks a lot of tough questions. It focuses on the ugliness of a world that doesn’t want you to look too closely. It addresses themes these themes throughout and attempts to answer them in its own way. There’s no one solution to enacting societal change. But Metaphor doesn’t shy away from examining how staying stagnant results in nothing. It’s better to try and do something than playing an idle role in the world around us. Something that over the last few years has deeply resonated with me. The world has never been in a worse spot. We’re watching people be openly evil and committing horrible acts of violence that can never be undone. Yet so many people willingly choose to look away, to bury their head in the sand.

It can feel hopeless to others. Wondering how just one person can make a significant change. It isn’t just about one person though. Because together we can make real institutional changes. Metaphor looks at this as its thesis, and over the course of 80 hours attempts to put into words a feeling I think many of us are wrestling with ourselves.

Career Day broke onto the scene a few years ago and hasn’t stopped since. Their melodic emo and pop punk sound help underscore the messaging of a system that is rigged from the start. I’ll Always be This has a strong sense of revolution and ultimately understanding that through the power of collective action we must make real foundational changes. It’s themes run parallel to that of Metaphor: Refantazio and for that, I think it’s an excellent pairing.

Well, that’s my top 10 of 2024. I hope you enjoyed reading whatever the hell this was. I’m glad I get to end my year with the GB community again. Y’all have given me so much and i hope my writing continues to be at least a little entertaining to everyone. Happy holidays and I hope to see much more of everyone in 2025!